Research overview

My research interests are broadly in evolution and development, with a focus on comparative mechanisms between embryonic processes and regeneration. The main body of my work is carried out in the cephalochordate amphioxus, an invertebrate chordate that is fast emerging as an important model system for understanding the evolution of vertebate characters from an invertebrate ancestor. This is largely facilitated by its "prototypical" genome organisation and simple chordate morphology. The fact that amphioxus regenerates complex structures well as an adult also holds promise for its use as a regeneration model system.